Wallace L. Jernigan, 86, died on Saturday, July 9, 2011 at the Clinch Memorial Hospital.
A native of Jesup, he was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn Moore Jernigan, and one sister, Betty Welch. He was a graduate of Georgia Tech in Atlanta and worked with his dad in the funeral business.
Jernigan was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1958 and became chairman of the Senate Committee on Educational Matters. He received wide recognition for his service as Chairman of the Senate Interim Committee known as the “Jernigan Committee.”
After serving briefly in the House, Jernigan became executive secretary to Governor S. Ernest Vandiver. In 1966 he helped elect Bill Stuckey to the U.S. Congress and served on his staff in Washington as Administrative Assistant. He served for a time with the FmHA as a district loan specialist. After retirement he worked for Jay Shaw Realty Company as a certified real estate agent. He recently was co-author of “Those Smoke Filled Room”, a biography of his youth and political services. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, July 12th at the Homerville Baptist church. Survivors are his daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and John “Wink” Strickland of Homerville and three children and three great grandchildren